The Castle in the Woods

The party were peasants rounded up by the bailiff of Prince Hubert Charming, son of the Baron of Westlake. They were sent into the Grimmswood to find and enter the ruins of Sefton Castle and retrieve the enchanted Sleeping Beauty so that the Prince could awaken her with a kiss (and his Reanimation Serum). His previous brides, Princess Ella and Princess Snow, were both rescued from near(?) death, but both died after only a short time of marital bliss with the Prince.

Roses Red

The party was sent into the Grimmswood very close to Sefton Castle. They found a narrow, overgrown path to the left and a well-trod, recently used path to the right. The party decided to go left, since whoever had taken the right-hand path had failed. They found a crumbling stone wall overgrown with red roses, and a gap that could be climbed through to reach the castle courtyard. They entered cautiously, and found the place greatly overgrown.

The Stables and the Ruined Kitchen

The party decided to investigate the stables on the west side of the courtyard first. They found a few useful items, but little of interest at first – until a small tunnel (just big enough for a halfling to walk through, others had to duck or crawl) in a horse-stall marked “Princess.” Apparently deciding that the name of the horse, “Princess,” was a good omen, Perry and Yu decided to check it out. The tunnel led to a ruined kitchen where they were attacked by a drop crawler, a horrible tentacled arachnid beast! Several other members of the party crawled through the tunnel to help fight it. There was some debate about trying to subdue and domesticate the thing, but in the end, it was a fight to the death. They saved Yu, who had seemed doomed, and although they had thought Merry was killed, he turned out to be OK. Michael Lin heroically slew the drop crawler with his longsword.

As the party members who had crawled to the kitchen were returning in triumph to the stables (some with iron pots on their heads as helmets!), they were attacked by a number of nasty fey creatures called hobyahs. They did manage to subdue one and tie it up and lock it in a box, but the hobyahs killed Caesar the ditch-digger. More Chaotic elements of the party decided to befriend the captive hobyah by feeding him parts of Caesar, and they decided to call him George. George is the unofficial mascot of the party.

The Chapel of Justicia

The party interrogated George about secret tunnels in the castle, and he indicted that a tunnel led to the Chapel of Justicia on the eastern side of the courtyard. The party sent some members in to investigate (Merry was struck down by Justicia’s holy flame for daring to profane her chapel after cutting off Caesar’s fingers to feed George – but she was revived and confessed her sins.). Once in the chapel, they located the tunnel and sent a few party members down to explore.

The Tomb

The tunnels led the expedition to the tomb below the courtyard, where generations of the castle’s inhabitants were buried. They looted the graves for silver jewelry, a rusty but serviceable shield, and Tarsal found an enchanted shortsword called Hale-Warden. Tarsal used Hale-Warden to detect that many, many hobyahs were lurking about near the tomb and in the tunnels. The expedition decided to return to the rest of the party. As soon as they entered the narrow tunnels, they were set upon by hobyahs, who killed and ate Vyvance the squire who had been bringing up the rear.

The Tower and the Laboratory of Doctor Chapman

The party went back through the courtyard to the tower on the south wall. Inside the tower, they found stairs up to a trap door. An expedition was sent to explore upstairs . . . and ended up in an extradimensional space – the Laboratory of Doctor Chapman!

The expedition explored the strange wizard’s laboratory they had found, which was clearly too large to fit into the tower they were in, and found much that perplexed them, and that they did not understand fully. After a time, the ghost of Doctor Chapman himself appeared – a stoop-shouldered old man with half-moon spectacles. He asked what they sought, and upon finding out their mission, offered to help, but warned them that the Prince intended to betray them. He told them to obey the Prince’s orders when the time came.

The Upper Courtyard

Before proceeding to the castle itself, the party wanted to scout the upper courtyard in the northeast corner of the main courtyard. Marth Hammer decided to scout ahead using his Selective Cloak of Invisibility – and that’s how he found out that although it works on hobyahs, he was still visible to the greater hobyahs that laired up there! A battle ensued in which Helga the hunter and Zyprexa the orphan were slain.

The Great Hall

The party entered the Great Hall of Sefton Castle and found (and looted) the skeletal remains of folk who had been at a feast when the curse fell upon them. They found 5 faerie women sleeping, and when Tarsal tried to wake up one of them, they all awoke and spoke, then vanished:

A fair-haired woman in a green dress – “For 100 years has Beauty Slept.” – she made a gesture of benediction that healed the wounds of the party.

A dark-skinned, dark-haired woman in a blue dress – “When she arises, so too shall all who sleep in this castle.” – pantomimed many arisings with her fingers.

A red-haired woman in riding clothes – “This is the Sword of Truth, which cuts all lies and falsehoods.” – she gave the Sword of Truth to Michael Lin.

A dark-haired, foreign woman in a red dress decorated with golden dragons – “This is the Shield of Truth, which alone protects against the piercing thorns.” – she gave the Shield of Truth to Lunestra.

A dark-haired woman in a yellow dress – “This is the Mirror of Truth, whose reflections pierce illusion, but beware, for not all truth is good to know.” – she gave the Mirror of Truth to Adam Lake.

The Rose Dragon

The party went up the stairs to a room filled by a giant pile of cut roses. But the Golden Orb said “yes” to the question of whether or not the roses were a threat! They shifted, and revealed themselves to be a horse-sized dragon made of roses – a Rose Dragon! The party waded into battle with the dragon, that made several of them fall asleep with its dragon’s breath, and tried to charm them (except that Michael Lin had drawn the Sword of Truth, which prevented it from affecting them with its lies!). During the fight, Marth Hammer used his Selective Cloak of Invisibility to scout ahead – the Golden Orb told him that “yes,” Sleeping Beauty was this way – but he encountered a bottomless pit and had to turn back! The party was victorious over the Rose Dragon with no casualties except those who had been put to sleep! They awakened their comrades and continued on!

The Antechamber

The party followed Marth Hammer to where he had encountered the “bottomless pit” in the antechamber to Sleeping Beauty’s room. Adam Lake was able to break the illusion with the Mirror of Truth. They were able to pass into the chamber beyond.

On the way out of the castle, they did check the room where the Spinning Wheel sat, but having decided that the wheel was likely accursed in some way, they left it alone. They hastened to meet with Prince Charming.

The Charming Prince

The party returned to the clearing where they met with Prince Charming, his bailiff, and 20 of his men-at-arms. He ordered them to lay down arms and give him his bride. He announced his intention to revive her, then kill them all so that they could not spread rumors about him.

Palmonides, the Demon of the Mirror, reminded them, “Obedience in this case offers advantage, and ensures your true reward for this day’s work. Disobedience may well result in your death, which is otherwise only assured if you attack the Prince’s bride to be!” The party decided to comply.

The party watched as the Prince injected Sleeping Beauty with some of his Reanimation Serum, then kissed her. She began to move, and it seemed like it had worked! Then, her kiss seemed to drain the life from the Prince, and she ripped his head from his body! Then men-at-arms leaped to their lord’s defense, and Sleeping Beauty literally tore them apart. She departed into the woods bearing the Prince’s head.

The party took a few rounds to loot the men-at-arms for weapons and coins, and the Prince’s body for some coins, his ruby ring, and three doses of Prince Charming’s Reanimation Serum.

The Tomb-Legions

The party began to hear noises coming from Sefton Castle – “When she arises, so too shall all who sleep in this castle!” – the inhabitants of the castle, all now skeletal undead, began to stumble from the castle into the Grimmswood. The party fled back into the Barony of Westlake . . .

1st Level Hexcrawl

The Treasure Vaults of Zadabad (Session 2)

About a month after their foray into the Well of Souls, the party had made their way to the port of Jolzin in the Southern Province and had booked passage to the Island of Kalmatta aboard Captain Siren’s ship, the Soulcatcher. They arrived at the plague-colony of Sindanore on the Day of the Oyster, the 9th of Drawblade. Captain Siren said that she would be staying in port for seven days while they took on water and food, made repairs, and traded supplies, then the Soulcatcher would be sailing on, unless other arrangements were made. The party planned to use the time to seek the long-lost Treasure Vaults of Zadabad!

The henchmen of the party have elected to follow them for now. They stay behind to guard their livestock and keep an eye on their home base. The henchmen are:

Kaff the Mercenary (m.), who became a Warrior

Neutral

Steve

Thraa the Jester (m.), who became a Wizard

Chaotic

Tanya

Cheese the Mendicant (f.), who became a Thief

Lawful

Yahsenia

The characters sought word of anyone who had actually traveled into the jungles. They had heard that two young men, cousins named Gristle and Yreeth, had been to the jungle, and could be found in the stable at Urtull’s place. They went down there and found that those two young men were willing to hire themselves out, but had never been more than about six miles from the settlement at Sindanore. They did mention that Efram, the man who sells food and “Creeper Juice,” might have a map of the interior.

So the party went to visit Efram. Blair bought a round of Creeper Juice for Gristle and Yreeth, and then they asked about maps. Efram swore he had a map that would lead them to Zadabad. He offered to sell it for 10 gp. Loden offered to buy it, a round of Creeper Juice for everyone, and a wineskin of Creeper Juice in exchange for an outfit of silk clothes and 90 cp. It was agreed, so Efram handed over an ancient, faded parchment map showing an X by a lake about 20 miles away to the east, through the jungles and some mountains.

The party set out for what they hoped was the lost city of Zadabad. At the end of the first day, they had traveled through some jungles and entered the foothills of some nameless mountains. Then, as the sun was beginning to set, they spotted a pyramidal tomb in a narrow draw. They decided to investigate.

The thieves Magpie and Douglas approached stealthily first. They were able to decipher some hieroglyphic cravings on stone plinths flanking a stagnant reflecting pool in front of the pyramid. Magpie read that this was the tomb of Chinhotep. a vizier who had advised great pharaohs and flourished in the age after the fall of Khonsuria. He had served great men and amassed great wealth. Douglas was able to learn that Chinhotep had loved the Pharess Varna, and had a chance to marry her, but it would have cost him all that he possessed. He declined, and later served her successor and assassin, the Pharaoh Azun-Kaman. In the last part it recorded his final advice to his many and illegitimate sons: “Greed is the great destroyer. Never sell your entire herd, no matter the amount of the drover’s offer, for what will you live on next year?”

The thieves called the rest of the party forward. They examined the doorway to the tomb, which seemed intact, but in the failing light they were unable to read the hieroglyphics inscribed upon it. Magpie even climbed to the top of the pyramid, and looked around, but saw nothing useful.

As the party was preparing to make camp for the night, Noranje’s pig jumped into the stagnant reflecting pool and began to swim around, but it was attacked by some colossal leeches! The party had some trouble dispatching them, until in a Mighty Deed of Arms, Dip tied one into a knot and then sliced it apart with his longsword, showering the area with foul slime. They decided to pitch camp well away from the reflecting pool.

The night passed without incident, though their dreams may have been troubled by nightmares featuring giant leeches. The next morning they set to work on the door to the tomb of Chinhotep. Douglas was now able to decipher the writing as an invitation to enter and plunder his tomb!

It took much of the morning to remove the stone slab sealing the tomb. The tomb seemed to be a ruin, but for the mighty stone sarcophagus. They worked to open this as well. At last, they used a yoked mule belonging to Dip to pull the lid off the coffin. The mummy of Chinhotep sat upright, cackling at them! Noranje fled the tomb, Dip threw his crowbar, Loden presented his holy symbol and prayed . . . but it turned out to be a mechanical trick, not an undead mummy! In the sarcophagus, they found a gold circlet set with a ruby and a bronze scrolltube containing a scroll of divine symbol.

This might have been the end, but Loden noticed that Chinhotep’s mummy had eleven toes. Loden reached out and wiggled the extra toe, opening a secret door to a hidden treasure room. There they found a series of locked chests and a wooden mannequin wearing the Mantle of Chinhotep. In a hidden recess, they also found the Candle of Khodun Nudohk. They found a description of a ritual that Chinhoptep believed could be used to bring Varna back to life, using the Candle of Khodun Nudohk, the “Bell of Khodun Nudohk,” and “The Book of the Dead.” Apparently, Chinhotep declined to enact the ritual, and the bell was buried with Varna.

Magpie attempted to find out if the chests were trapped, and accidentally set off a poisoned needle trap, which would have killed her almost instantly had not the poison faded over the centuries, and Loden the Cleric of Amun Tor not healed her by laying on hands. The chests were loaded with heavy silver ingots, which they loaded into the saddle bags of the mule. The party was originally going to take only 17 of 18, but later decided to take them all.

The party found evidence of a further hidden chamber behind a mural showing Chinhotep refusing to take the scepter and rule as pharaoh, choosing to live more simply and thus survive. They chose not to heed the implied warning and opened this last room. It proved to be empty, but a ghostly voice cried, “You have sold your entire herd!” A gust of foul wind blew through the chamber, and several members of the party became afflicted with the Plague of Zadabad, breaking out in terrible, contagious boils almost instantly. The afflicted were: Magpie, Gwenneth, Douglas, Logan, and Dip.

The party knew they were finished unless Loden could do something by the grace of Amun Tor (and perhaps the luck of the halfling Logan). Loden began to lay on hands in the name of Amun Tor. Despite suffering some disapproval from his god, with the help of Logan’s luck, the cleric was able to heal them all of the plague!

The party decided to camp another night at the Tomb of Chinhotep, and press on in the morning . . .

0-Level Funnel

The Well of Souls (Session 1)

A band of eighteen peasants from the Southern Province hoped to escape the drudgery of their lives by assembling the long-lost Tablets of Fate and entering the Well of Souls, which was located in a cave in the Sentinel Mountains between the Southern Province and Ghetrian Desert. Many had entered the well before, but supposedly none had ever returned. A guide named Farid escorted them into the mountains to the hidden cave, and volunteered to wait a couple of days to see if they emerged (and to watch a cow that one of them had brought along, but could not take into the dungeon).

The hapless peasants were:

Tovah the Shaman (m.)

Chaotic

Phil

Noranje the Dwarven Herder (m.)

Neutral

Phil

Kaff the Mercenary (m.)

Neutral

Steve

Douglas the Tax Collector (m.)

Chaotic

Steve

Gwenneth the Elven Sage (f.)

Neutral

Amy O.

Brock Samson the Soldier (m.)

Chaotic

Amy O.

Magpie the Cutpurse (f.)

Chaotic

Amy S.

Dove the Herder (f.)

Chaotic

Amy S.

Thraa the Jester (m.)

Chaotic

Tanya

Loden the Con Artist (m.)

Lawful

Tanya

Katherine the Elven Sage (f.)

Chaotic

Lizzy

Joey the Dwarven Stonemason (m.)

Neutral

Lizzy

Savinar the Orphan (m.)

Chaotic

Cheyanne

Blair the Wheat Farmer (f.)

Neutral

Cheyanne

Martyr the Hunter (m.)

Chaotic

Alex

Logan the Halfling Dyer

Lawful

Alex

Cheese the Mendicant

Lawful

Yahsenia

Dip the Cooper

Chaotic

Yahsenia

The characters were wary about lowering themselves into the Well of Souls by the old bucket rope that was there, and instead used the 100’ rope that Savinar was carrying. They had a torch and lantern. Realizing they might need another torch, they bargained with Farid for his staff. He sold it to them for 60 cp.

Once in the cavern, the ones with the power to see in the dark noticed several Cave Lurkers with many eyes crawling on the ceiling. They saw a manmade tunnel to the north and another cavern to the south. They gathered up copper coins from the water (some of recent mint in the Southern Province, others ancient copper coins of the Khonsurian Empire and its successor states).

There were 3 flat-bottomed boats waiting here, each of which could hold six people, so all 18 of them loaded into the boats and paddled down the northern tunnel. The narrow tunnel opened into the wider Halls of Sacrifice, supported by pillars carved with scenes of noble self-sacrifice. This place was sacred to Ningizzia, the God of Present Truths. The walls in this area were covered in niches containing the skeletons interred here in ancient times. The tunnel ended at some steps up to a chamber. The would-be heroes pulled the boats up onto the steps and climbed up into the chamber. More dead were interred here, and a locked door lead to the east. There were stones representing the numbers 1-8, and representing mathematical operations of division, addition, subtraction, and multiplication. There was a cylinder marked with numerals in the center.

When they entered the room, a portcullis clanged down, cutting off their retreat. The cylinder was spun, locking in at the number 31. At first, not knowing the symbolism, they tried pushing stones randomly, which animated some skeletons which they had to fight. Then Douglas the Tax Collector figured out the nature of the symbols, and were able to push a sequence creating a mathematical formula for 31, which opened the doors.

In the next room was a river flowing south, and three bronze cauldrons. The first seemed enchanted to cause fear, and both Dip the Cooper and Logan the Halfling Dyer were lost because of it – they fled to join Farid on the surface. The second cauldron was used for scrying. The third seemed unenchanted. The surviving members of the party loaded up into the two boats to head south, with four characters forced to walk – Dove the Herder, Thraa the Jester, Katherine the Elven Sage, and Brock the Soldier.

Following the tunnel south was easy at first, but then it began to slope downward and led to a waterfall into a pool below. Katherine the Elven Sage was killed by the fall, most of the others were able to brace themselves, prevent the boats from going over, or survive the drop. They had roped the boats together, and managed to lower a rope down to the grotto.

The grotto was open to the stars above, and contained a model of the relatively nearby island of Kalmatta and the lost city of Zadabad (founded by successors of the Khonsurian Empire). The model was made of about 200 gp. worth of precious stones. Atop the pyramid at the center was the Rod of the Crescent Moon.

Thraa the Jester climbed up to claim the Rod of the Crescent Moon, but this caused a bronze crocodile to arise from the waters and animate to attack. The bronze crocodile apparently represented Sophet, the Crocodile God of Future Mysteries. It seemed to kill Thraa with a blast of blue fire, but he later proved to be alive, though badly burned. There was a door without a handle leading out of the grotto, but it was held in place by 4 bolts. They realized that the bolts matched the Rod of the Crescent Moon and hurried to open it, even as their companions battled the terrible bronze crocodile. Finally, Tovah the Shaman managed to crack it wide open with a single blow of his mace, releasing a djinn trapped within – Urhatta the Worldwalker! She offered to answer any three questions for Tovah and to become the Patron of any characters who become wizards or spellcasting elves.

Tovah used two of his questions to ask Urhatta the Worldwalker about the locations of treasure and dangers in the Well of Souls. He decided to save his final question.

Having used the Rod of the Crescent Moon to open the door, the would-be heroes climbed stairs the the Cavern of Secrets, where a statue of Ashkari, the Bat Goddess of Past Secrets, held the legendary Phoenix Shield in its jaws. The would-bve heroes had been warned by Urhatta the Worldwalker of the pit traps at the base of the statue, so they raided these for the treasures left by unfortunate past victims. Then Loden the Con Artist and Dove the Herder tried to climb up to get the Phoenix Shield, but Dove fell and died, triggering a bat swarm.

As the characters were fighting the bat swarm (and Martyr the Hunter died, his face eaten by bats), some decided to run and climb the bucket rope to escape. A couple made it to safety, but they triggered the swarming of the Cave Lurkers, and then an attempt by two characters to climb the bucket rope at the same time caused the rope to break. Tovah nearly died from this, and then was killed by the Cave Lurkers.

Cave Lurkers also killed Brock Samson the Soldier, Joey the Dwarven Stonemason, and Savinar the Orphan before they were defeated and the bats dispersed. The rope was retrieved from the waterfall to the grotto, and a way to get the rope connected to the surface was devised.

And so the heroes survived the Well of Souls and went on to become adventurers. They divided the treasure (the sale of bronze cauldrons and gems) for a total of 21 gp. each – a fortune to peasants who had never before so much as held a gold coin! They tipped Farid handsomely for his trouble, and then set out on their quest to find the lost Treasure Vaults of Zadabad on the Isle of Kalmatta!

New DCC Campaign 4/1/2017

Rise to Glory II: Electric Boogaloo

I have been setting up a new DCC campaign for us; for the sake of convenience, I plan to use the default Aereth setting of DCC. I’m planning on using some third party publisher modules for the Funnel and beginning of the campaign (from Stormlord Publishing), but I am setting them in the known world.

Game Date: 6/1/3200 E.C.

The party checked out the 2 remaining Nether Gates – one blood red and one purple. They tried opening the blood red one, but it was bricked up on the other side! So they opened the purple door and were whisked away to the Purple Planet!

They found themselves in a great alien pyramid. The portal through which they had arrived had been powered by a greenstone, but only a tiny shard was left. Aric Two-Fingers figured out that a full greenstone would be needed to power the portal to get home. Tamash took the greenstone shard. Amethyst figured out how to open the doors using a panel (8-4-3).

Leaving the pyramid, they discovered a war-band of House Reagen-Tor of the Kith, apparently the dominant race of the Purple Planet. The party used their connection to a Patron at the Court of Chaos – Hekanhoda – to exchange the Argent Falx and the Cursed Bowl & Blade for the whole party to gain the ability to speak Kith. After conferring with the Reagen-Tor Kith, with was determined that their rivals, House Cotcyst, possessed a greenstone. The party decided that this would be easier to obtain than the greenstone possessed by the Great Mother of Death Orms . . .

Gazal fought a death-duel with a Kith Champion and beheaded him, claiming his plasma torch weapon.

The party made a trip to the Mushroom Jungle to collect Moon-Milk needed for survival on the Purple Planet. They occasionally found other treasures, such as a metal locker buried in the sand on the way that contained 3 greenstone shards. Having collected the precious Moon-Milk, they returned to camp at the Pyramid.

Game Date: 6/2/3200 E.C.

The party traveled across the wastes towards the mountains. They came upon a dead Orm, and sought strekleons and gribbs. They entered the Ancestor Peaks. That night, they fought a raiding party of House Cotcyst. They captured the leader – Mordeth – and used ESP to drain his brain of info.

Game Date: 6/3/3200 E.C.

The party decided to form a new plan – what if they could get House Reagen-Tor as allies for a war against House Cotcyst? They used Force Manipulation to transport Mordeth. They made their way through a minefield (Amethyst summoned gribbs to sweep for mines!). They found a flying skiff and flew back to the Pyramid.

Game Date: 6/4/3200 E.C.

The party sighted the warband called Devotees of the Negnib in the distance. Amethyst and Domnos used Force Manipulation to create flying platforms to go meet with them. During the negotiations, it was revealed that the Kith were expecting the reincarnation of their leader, the Negnib, and they decided that Amethyst was the Negnib! Ludo, Gazal, and Amethyst got tattoos marking them as House Reagen-Tor and members of the Devotees of the Negnib. They set out and made alliances with other warbands in the aread.

Game Date: 6/6/3200 E.C.

Having consulted with their allies in House Reagen-Tor, they decided to head to the headquarters of the House, the City of Smoke, to recruit as many Kith of Reagen-Tor as possible for war with House Cotcyst. They made their way across the wastes and Mushroom Jungle towards the City of Smoke, having adventures and finding treasures.

Game Date: 6/9/3200 E.C.

On the edges of the Mushroom Jungle, the party met with another band of refugees from their home planet, Aereth. They teamed up with these travelers, including Jaddak the Thief. They traveled on to the City of Smoke. After exploring the City and meeting its Ascended Masters, they discovered that the City of Smoke was powered by a greenstone. Deciding that it would be easier to steal this stone than fight a war for the one possessed by House Cotcyst, they betrayed House Reagen-Tor and stole their greenstone, destroying the City of Smoke and killing untold legions of Kith! They used Force Manipulation to survive the City of Smoke and escaped to head back to the Pyramid.

Game Fate: 6/20/3200 E.C.

Back at the Pyramid, Amethyst opened a portal back to Punjar . . . so the heroes returned home to Aereth . . .

Game Date: 5/13/3200 E.C.

The party moved to an inn called “The Silent Maid” on the alley The Shiv off Ratcatcher’s Row in the Smoke. Attacked by bounty-hunters in service to the Temple.

Game Date: 5/17/3200 E.C. (New Moon)

The party scryed the Temple of the Moon for weaknesses, then assaulted the Temple! After an epic battle, they took over the Temple and freed the girl that was the intended sacrifice, Satia, daughter of Evold Oathbreaker (a crime boss) – they returned his daughter to him in exchange for security for their new Temple . . .

Game Date: 6/1/3200 E.C.

The party is finished healing from their battle and repairing their new Temple . . .

XP Earned: 10

COMINGSOON

Return to the Temple of the Moon! And DCC #84 – Peril on the Purple Planet (?)

Game Date: 4/24/3200 E.C. – 5/1/3200 E.C.

The party used this time to recover from the spellburn and other ravages of their previous adventures . . .

Game Date: 5/2/3200 E.C.

The party, following sinister hints in the Grimoire Nex, visited the Squalor Court in Punjar, seeking the Witch of Saulim for hints about how to bring back the dead.

While some of the party stood watch outside the tent (notably Gazal and Aric Twofingers), Amethyst led the way into the tent, greeting the witch as “sister.” Hours passed outside the tent while only a short while seemed to pass within. The Witch of Saulim performed a reading from the deck oh Thoth-Ruin, giving the party clues on how to visit the realm of the death and bring back the dead. They took The Moon as their totem card.

Game Date: 5/3/3200 E.C. (Full Moon)

The party assaulted the Temple of the Moon in Punjar, climbing the ziggurat and attacking the guards on the platform at the top. Unfortunately, the guards were able to summon assistance. Fortunately, so were the party, using Tamash’sWar Horn of Elfland spell. The party watched through the opening at the top (and several were blinded temporarily by the moonlight), the Tamash jumped down using a feather fall cast by Domnos, stabbed the abbotess, wrestled the argent falx from her, and was hauled up by rope.

The Abbotess of Mani swears revenge! (The party also swears to take out the Cult of Mani, so they’re even).

Game Date: 5/4/3200 E.C.

The party goes to the site of the ruins of the temple of the Carnifex, then follows Ash Alley to the site of the old Charnel Pits. They find a shrine to the Carnifex, and Domnos lit a candle. They entered the Pits, used force manipulation to make a bridge through some of the ruins, then past the ovens to where the ghost of a fishwife named Moira guarded the Gates of Death. Domnos used the Blade of Atropos spell to cut through Moira, destroying her forever, and cut the silver chain to get through the Gates of Death . . .

The party entered the Realm of Death, where Death awaited on a throne, attended by his concubine Eris, and the Witch of Saulim. They could see fallen companions, such as Vallardine, Caliph, Moloch, and Morgan, bound with silver chains. Eris offered them the chance to gamble their lives to save dead companions.

Domnos risked her life to gamble for the life of Vallardine . . . and won! Tamash used the argent falx to cut him free,

Then Gazal gambled for the life of Caliph, the first member of the party to die in the Portal Under the Stars! Vallardine lent almost all his Luck to Gazal so that he could cheat Death . . . and he won! Tamash cut the chains with the argent falx, and Caliph rejoined the party!

The party was about to flee back through the portal to Punjar, when Eris offered them a chance to play against Death himself for a future resurrection! The party wisely chose to flee back through the portal without risking this . . .

Game Date: 5/4/3200 E.C. – 5/9/3200 E.C.

The party spent time resting and healing, and allowing Vallardine to recover his Luck!

COMINGSOON

Return to the Temple of the Moon! And DCC #84 – Peril on the Purple Planet (?)

Game Date: 4/16/3200 E.C.

The party camped in the Antechamber with their guide from among the Pious of the Light, Lurup. The next morning, they decided to check out the left-hand door to the south from the Antechamber. Gazal fell in a pit trap, and Tamash used burning hands both to clear away the roots and heal Gazal.

The party then found and looted the hidden reliquary, including the chasse containing Oil of Slaying, 3 flasks of holy water of the Carnifex, and a cumdach containing the Grimoire Nex. Beneath the chasse they also found the Shawl Silenti, which was donned by Gazal.

The party next wanted to check out the right-hand door, the “Oubliette of Luthold the Mad,” but Lurup told them it was forbidden. So Domnos used a sleep spell on Lurup and Amethyst erased his memory of the whole thing. Meanwhile, they did visit Luthold the Mad, who was pretty useless to the party despite being victim to Aric’slotus stare.

Later, Lurup led the party to the Grotto of the Worm, where Aric used the lotus stare to use Lurup to help destroy the jewels of the carnifex (losing lots of fingers in the process!). The party looted lots of treasures that had belonged to the Carnifex cult and which had been kept by the Pious of the Light.

Finally, the party faced Azazel of the Light and his “Pious of the Light” followers. Tamash used the War Horn of Elfland to summon fey troops to fight the Pious. They destroyed the Pious and then went home.

Game Date: 4/17/3200 E.C. to 4/24/3200 E.C.

The wizards, elf, and cleric in the party had time to study the Grimoire Nex at their leisure and learn the secrets of summoning the powers of death . . .

Game Date: 4/8/3200 E.C.

Upon arrival back in Punjar, the party finds a notorious scoundrel named Magnar the Lucky passed out, sleeping off an epic lotus binge. In his hand they find a map purporting to show the location of the long-lost Undertemple of the Carnifex, said to be the last resting place of an overlord’s ransom in jewels! The party goes to get supplies and seek rumors before attempting to penetrate the Undertemple . . .

Game Date: 4/15/3200 E.C.

The party entered the Undertemple by means of a forgotten passageway through the sewers, using force manipulation to avoid the perils of both sewage and a giant, mutant spider. They faced a set of six undead shades and a bunch of members of an apparent religious order called “The Pious of the Light.” They met with their leader, “Azazel of the Light,” and agreed to help destroy the Jewels of the Carnifex in order to lock that dark goddess away for good!

Game Date: 4/7/3200 E.C.

As a red sun dawned in the Vale, the party tried to decide where to look for the remaining plaques. As they set out through the Low Gate, Tamash noticed a loose flagstone covering a shaft leading to caves below the Manor. Domnos dropped down a torch and used her crystal globe to scry ahead, seeing swarms of flies below. They climbed down the shaft. Aric Twofingers used Turn Unholy to dispel the clouds of flies. They made their way to a copper doorway. Gazal fell down a pit trap in front of the door. The party was unable to open the door, but Aric was able to turn it into delicious food using Food of the Gods.

The Jester arrived and tried to distract the party, but working together, Gazal, Tamash, and Tamash’sInvisible Companion managed to open the coffer and acquire the Devil Card. The Jester fled in fury.

The party climbed out of the cavern and spent a long time searching the shore of the lake for a way into the realm of the Red Sorceress. Gazal went swimming, but saw nothing. Aric tried to Detect Magic, but failed, and had to spend an hour praying for forgiveness. After this, they went back to the battlefield, then decided to travel to the Tower Beyond the Moon. They waited for the bridge to appear, and Amethyst and Domnos used force manipulation to make platforms to protect them on the crossing.

The party visited the clockwork court of the yellow king, and took a mysterious black vial that they were offered, but did not open it. They found their way to the torture chamber and claimed the plaques, escaping from the Tower.

Having found the key to visiting the Red Sorceress, they prepared to enter her realm under the lake. Domnos invoked the Three Fates before beginning the expedition . . . and so, when facing the Sorceress, having acquired the last plaques, she was able to Spellburn using her last chaos stone to cast an epic Force Manipulation and thus escape the collapsing undersea lair of the Sorceress.

Game Date: 4/8/3200 E.C. (Empyrean Calendar)

Returning to the Manor the next morning, they planned to use the power of the plaques and the Throne of the Archmagi to open up a gateway home. Tamash successfully opened the portal, gaining a level and spells in the process, and they arrived back in Punjar to take a long rest . . .

Game Date: 4/6/3200 E.C.

The party passed through one of the Nether Gates and into the Vale of the Magi. They watched the moon set in front of a distant tower, and as they trudged down into the vale, watched a blue sun rise! They passed by a battlefield on their way to a manor house by a lake . . .

At the lake, Aric Twofingers used his new Lotus Stare spell to hypnotize Gazal and make him jump in the lake! The Low Gate to the Manor House by the lake seemed ancient and disused, so the party went around to the High Gate. There, they were greeted by some Ladies-in-Waiting in yellow (Signe, Nyx, and Moira) and the Matron who cared for them. The Ladies seemed quite taken with Tamash, Gazal, and Gorm, and invited them to the High Fete that night (including a tournament to choose champions for the Ladies), though the Matron made her disapproval clear.

The Matron began to confide to Domnos that she secretly wished for some way out of the Vale, and was beginning to explain about the strange nature of that place, when they were interrupted by Father Moro, a creepy red-clad priest, with some red-clad men-at-arms. He seemed vaguely menacing and threatening, but ultimately he departed to attend to his clerical duties. The Matron escorted her charges to their room, leaving the party to explore the Manor House.

Entering the Great Hall, they encountered a melancholy warrior in yellow, Captain Kaschei, the “Prince of Swords” . . . he was drunk and brawled a bit with the party when Domnos tried to take his bottle. He explained more about the nature of the Vale of the Magi, and the plaques that control the destiny of everyone in the Vale. He told them of the Magician-King, Darjr, the Sorceress Eriodade, and the Wizard Al-Hazred. The King on Yellow Darjr dwells in the Tower Beyond the Moon, and the Red Sorceress Eriodade dwells beneath the lake, but none knew where the Blue Wizard Al-Hazred dwelt. They also encountered a creepy little Fool or Jester that seemed to prevent them from learning much more from Kaschei.

They found a trap door hidden under a carpet with three locks – one iron, one copper, and one gold. They decided to try to find the keys and return.

The party went to the High Fete being held at the Manor House. The three male champions, Tamash, Gazal, and Gorm, received favors from the Ladies-in-Waiting in the form of keys – iron, copper, and gold. Tamash even suffered the touch of iron to bear his Lady Signe’s token. The Tournament involved a Grand Melee in which the champions battled blue-clad warriors in service to the Blue Wizard, Al-Hazred. After their victory, they also slew Father Moro and his red-clad men-at-arms. Aric claimed the enchanted Sacrificial Bowl and Dagger that belonged to Moro (which allow a cleric to cast spells more effectively, at the risk of suicidal madness), and Gazal put on some of his red robes.

The party returned to the trap door under the Great Hall and used the keys they had obtained to enter the Manor Tomb. They defeated a Stone Drake by putting it to sleep with a spell. They found and attempted to use the scrying pool known as the Eye of Al-Hazred, but the entity within it tried to kill Gazal, and Aric ultimately drove the creature away. This revealed that the pool contained the plaques in the keeping of Al-Hazred.

Tamash claimed the plaques, and this caused Al-Hazred, who was in the next chamber, to implode. The party was able to retrieve the Celestial Mantle of Al-Hazred, his blue cloak, that allows a wizard to cast certain spells more effectively, for a price in life-force . . . .

Game Date: 4/7/3200 E.C.

The party emerged from the Manor Tomb just before dawn, to see the Fool deal the cards between the remaining Magi, the Yellow King Darjr and the Red Sorceress Eriodade. Eriodade claimed the upper hand, and it was a red sun that rose over the Vale of the Magi that day . . .

Stepping out of the Manor House to see the red sunrise, the party also noted that the Vale seemed smaller than it was the day before – the Vale was shrinking! If they don’t find a way back to Punjar soon, the Vale may be destroyed, and the party with it!